French Polynesia, 1999
Author: Steve & Cathy Gerstenschlager

6 nights Club Med Moorea
December 5 - 12, 1999
$2842 plus $639 round trip air fare from St. Louis

We left St. Louis at 6:22 am on Sunday Dec.5 on American and flew to Dallas. They served breakfast. We got to Dallas at 8:15 and rode the train to our next gate. We left at 9:16 and got to LAX at 10:36. We checked in with our Club Med representative at 11:00. We found our gate and went to McDonalds for lunch. Our Air Tahiti Nui flight left at !:30 a half hour late. The plane was an airbus. The service was great! The food was O.K. We got lunch and dinner. All drinks were free. They handed out flowers. The attendants changed clothes. The movies were free. About 3 hours into the flight, the turbulence was so bad that everyone started getting sick. The attendants were rushing around cleaning up after people. The bathrooms were filthy from sick people. The smell was overwhelming. This went on for 2 to 3 hours. The last 2 hours were fine and the pilot did apologize for the bumpy flight. We got to Tahiti at 8:30 PM. Immigration was a breeze. We picked up our luggage, went through customs and checked in with Club Med and got our flower leis and waited for our flight to Moorea. The flight left at 9:30 and lasted 10 minutes. We got to Moorea, checked in with Club Med, ( this was our first time at a Club Med bit not our first all- inclusive), and got our room assignments. It was raining. We boarded the bus for the 40 minute ride to Club Med. We got to Club Med and the rep explained a few things and took us to our fare, #R22. We opened the door and found TWIN BEDS, a very small closet and bathroom with a shower and a hair dryer. There was a 110 plug but it did not work. The spreads and curtains were very faded but the room was clean. There were two safes in the bottom of the closet. We pushed the beds together. It was very warm but the ceiling fan made it bearable. We went to bed at 11:00. We could hear loud music playing somewhere but it only lasted a few minutes.

We got up Monday at 3:30. I unpacked and at daylight we went for a walk around the village. Our fare was near the water by the water skiing. Our deck/patio looked out on the mountains. The grounds were beautiful. The water is so clear and blue you can actually see the fish swimming. We went to breakfast at 7. Club Meds price included all of our meals and drinks at meal time. You have to buy a coupon book for all other food and beverages. The meals are buffet and there is a large selection. The food was mediocre at best (although it was the best pineapple I've ever had!). The coffee and beer was terrible. (A hint for some of you, what is labeled as cocktail sauce tastes like French dressing for your salad and what is labeled as thousand island dressing isn't!) They make you sit at tables of their choosing, 8 to a table. It's a good way to meet people but certainly not conducive to a romantic vacation. There was a lot of single people and some families with children but mostly couples. There were a lot of divers. We sat on the beach until our 10:30 orientation. We bought the safari 4x4 tour for $41 per person for 1:30 that afternoon and the Tiki Village show for Friday night at 8:30 for $40 per person. (We charged these excursions to our room.) We ate lunch at 12:30 and left on the tour at 1:30. Our driver was Chris. He was fabulous!!! He gave us fruit to eat and would stop if we wanted to. It was well worth the money! It took 4 hours. We did need insect repellant when we stopped at the waterfall. We made reservations to go snorkeling and take the glass bottom boat the next day. We had dinner at 7:30 (Mexican night),and went to the show at 9:30 which was all audience participation so we went to bed at 10.

We got up at 5 on Tuesday morning. We went for a walk on the beach, which is nice but not the best we've been to. We had breakfast at 7. We took the 9:30 snorkeling trip. We went passed the Moorea Beachcomber Parkroyal. It is beautiful!! We snorkeled for 45 minutes. They never asked if we were experienced and some of the people were not. Eventually, they did give a few instructions but I felt sorry for the people who were first timers. We saw live and colorful coral for the first time. We have been to Hawaii, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and St. Martin but we've never seen such color!! We saw lots of Parrot fish and Zebra fish and Angel fish. On the way back, we stopped at the Beachcomber to see the dolphins. They keep them there for people to swim with. We had lunch at 12:30. We went to the motu a half mile from Club Meds beach. In fact, there are two motus but one is private and Club Med rents the other one for their GM's, (GENTEEL MEMBER). The motu was great! It is very rocky and sharp. Shoes are a must! It was closer to the waves, (which I missed at the beach). The currant that runs between the motus is very strong but loaded with fish! We went back to the dock and took the glass bottom boat at 3:30 for 45 minutes. The water was so clear we even took pictures through the glass bottom. We then went shopping at the little stores across the street from Club Med. They all took American money but gave back French change. I bought some pareos and t shirts. We went to happy hour from 5 to 6 where drinks are 2 for 1. We ordered 2 pina coladas. It was the worst one I have ever had! Plus it took a third of our $20 coupon book! We watched a beautiful sunset. We had dinner at 7:30 at the Tiki restaurant on the water. This is a sit down restaurant with a two entree menu. We went to the show which was GM night. It was OK. We went to bed at 10:30.

We got up Wednesday at 4:50. We went for a walk to watch the sunrise but really couldn't see much because of the mountains. We had breakfast at 7. We went shopping across the street. We went to the beach to soak up some sun. About 10% of the women were topless. We went back over to the motu. We came back and had lunch at 12:30. We took a nap. We went back to the beach at 3:30. We bought 2 cokes which took another third of our coupon book. At 5:00 we watched the water-ski show. We went to dinner at 7:30, (Asian night). We went to the show which was magic color. It was very good. We went to bed at 10:30. We got up Thursday at 6 and went to breakfast at 7. It rained for an hour. We went to the beach and Steve did some snorkeling right off the beach. He saw a ray about 20 feet from shore!!. The locals set up tables in the theater to sell their wares. We watched them making things. We watched a pareo show. We bought 2 cokes out of the machine for 200 cfp each. At 3:30 we took the glass bottom boat again. This time, we saw 10 or more rays swimming in the area where they take people to feed the rays. Steve got in and swam with them!!! It was fantastic!!! We got ready for dinner, (TAHITIAN NIGHT). Everyone dressed in pareos and leis and flowers in their hair. It was so fun!! The show at 9:30 was Tahitian dancers and fireeaters. They were GREAT!!! We went to bed at 11:00.

Friday we got up at 7 and went to breakfast. We went to the motu at 10:30 for a picnic and did some snorkeling. We had lunch at 12:30. We came back at 1:30 and laid on the beach. We went across the street and bought a 6 pack of coke for $5.50. We bought an ice cream which took the rest of our book. We went to dinner at 7:30, (fish night). We got on the bus for the Tiki Village at 8:30. The show started at 9. It was very good but really not any better than the show we saw at Club Med the night before for free. It lasted an hour. We rode back to Club Med and went to bed at 11:00.

We got up Saturday at 6:15 and packed to go home. We had breakfast at 7. Our battery died on our camera at the Tiki Village show so we went across the street to buy a new one. It was $15.50 for a battery that is $9 at home. (It was $45 in the Club Med shop.) We had lunch at 12:30 and went to the beach. We checked out at 5. I bought a pearl from the Club Med shop. The prices seemed comparable to the other stores...expensive!! I was in sticker shock at the price of pearls! We had dinner at 7,(Italian night). The bus left for the airport at 7:30. They gave us shell leis. We got to the airport at 8:15. I bought a soda for $3 all I had was a $20 so he gave me back French money. We left Moorea at 9:30. We got to Papeete, went through immigration and customs and waited for the 11:45 flight. I cashed in my French money for American. My $17 in change turned into $11!!! That coke cost me $9!!! We had a very uneventful flight to LAX and arrived at 10 am. on Sunday. We went through immigration and customs again and left at 11:55 on American. We got to O'Hare at 5:30 and left at 6:30 for St. Louis. We got to St. Louis at 7:30. We got our bags and ride back to our car and got home at 9:15. It was a great trip!! It was the most beautiful water we've ever seen and the best snorkeling we've ever done!!

©1999-2007 DiveAtlas Web Publishing.  All Rights Reserved
This entire domain and all associated e-mail addresses are located in the State of Washington,
and sending mail to addresses at this domain is subject to the provisions of the Revised Code of Washington.